mistressofmuses (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
mistressofmuses) wrote2025-04-29 07:55 pm
mistressofmuses) wrote2025-04-29 07:55 pm
Monday: local greenbelt
Yesterday, after stopping by the vet to get Cy's sample foods, we went on a walk along the greenbelt. (Not with Cy - these sorts of longer walks are too much for him, anymore.) It was a nice day, fairly warm but not terribly hot. I did get my first sunburn of the year, and I think even poor Bella got a little burned on her nose. (Not badly! Some aloe and we're all good today.)
The usual spot we park at was going through repaving, so we started our walk at a different point, and went the opposite direction that we usually do, so we saw a slightly different stretch. We still looped back to see a few favorite points along the part we'd been originally planning on.
Nice dramatic tree, with the smaller flowering trees in front. (These are the ones that remind me of the plums in our yard as a kid, but I think they're actually sand cherry.)
The creek and a lone female merganser. She had a pretty great mohawk.
There's a little historic house that you can rent from the city for events and such. There was someone sitting on the bench by it, so didn't want to take pictures, but there's a little garden area with a few nice flowers.
Tulips
Little purple flowers that I don't know the name of.
Some fish, hanging out.
The merganser again, after flying to the other side of the bridge.
A nest!
There are sewer access points periodically along the trail. I like the stencils someone painted around this one.
Bella, bravely approaching a (tiny) waterfall.
A hawk overhead!
More of the probable sand cherry.
Crabapple, maybe.
We went over to a particular area in the hopes of seeing an early frog or two. Alas, no frog spotting.
Though we did see a nice bright mallard.
But it turned out it was a good spot for us to sit and rest for a few minutes, because Alex saw...
Little great-horned owlet! :D
From the other side: so fluffy!
Not the best images, since it was perched very high up, but so cute! Glad we got to see it. This is the same general area we saw an owlet a couple years ago, when someone else allowed us to use their spotting scope to get a better look, so we'd hoped to see an owl this time!
Judgemental prairie dog.
And within a minute or so of getting back to the car, Bella was OUT, haha.
The usual spot we park at was going through repaving, so we started our walk at a different point, and went the opposite direction that we usually do, so we saw a slightly different stretch. We still looped back to see a few favorite points along the part we'd been originally planning on.
Nice dramatic tree, with the smaller flowering trees in front. (These are the ones that remind me of the plums in our yard as a kid, but I think they're actually sand cherry.)
The creek and a lone female merganser. She had a pretty great mohawk.
There's a little historic house that you can rent from the city for events and such. There was someone sitting on the bench by it, so didn't want to take pictures, but there's a little garden area with a few nice flowers.
Tulips
Little purple flowers that I don't know the name of.
Some fish, hanging out.
The merganser again, after flying to the other side of the bridge.
A nest!
There are sewer access points periodically along the trail. I like the stencils someone painted around this one.
Bella, bravely approaching a (tiny) waterfall.
A hawk overhead!
More of the probable sand cherry.
Crabapple, maybe.
We went over to a particular area in the hopes of seeing an early frog or two. Alas, no frog spotting.
Though we did see a nice bright mallard.
But it turned out it was a good spot for us to sit and rest for a few minutes, because Alex saw...
Little great-horned owlet! :D
From the other side: so fluffy!
Not the best images, since it was perched very high up, but so cute! Glad we got to see it. This is the same general area we saw an owlet a couple years ago, when someone else allowed us to use their spotting scope to get a better look, so we'd hoped to see an owl this time!
Judgemental prairie dog.
And within a minute or so of getting back to the car, Bella was OUT, haha.
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I totally expected to see turtles in that first water pic, lol!
Bella being brave and then sleeping the innocent sleep of the just! So cute.
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There was one (1) turtle near the fish, but it was mostly hidden behind the branches it was sitting on, so the picture wasn't terribly impressive. I was a bit surprised to only see the one turtle, though!
Cute little Bella. It was a pretty long walk for her, and she wanted us to know that she was tired, haha.
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So many critters. Amazing that you saw an owlet. I'd love to see and owl in the wild some day. That one nest up in the branches against the sky is dramatic. Bella and her well deserved rest!
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I was so excited to see the owlet! It was very cute. Didn't spot an adult, though one was probably supervising nearby. I've seen a handful of owls, but they're next to impossible to spot during the day, they blend in so well. Hearing them at night is always exciting, too.
Bella was out like a light the instant we stopped, haha. It was a long walk for her, lol.